Galapagos Species Database
The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.
Balistes polylepis
cochito escama fina, cachudo escama fina, pejepuerco coche, cachudo escama fina, Fine scale triggerfish
Drab shades of bluish gray to gray and brownish gray; belly generally lighter shade. Can pale or darken to match background. Small, fine scales on deep, rounded body. To lengths of 75 cm
Habitat: Young fish in sandy areas, sometimes well offshore. Adults prefer sandy regions amongst scattered lava rock, which provide shelter
Domain
Eukaryota
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Teleostei
Order
Tetraodontiformes
Family
Balistidae
Genus
Balistes
Species
polylepis
Taxon category: Accepted
Syn.: Balistes polylepis rubicundus de Buen, 1959, Pseudobalistes polylepis (Steindachner, 1876), fide Appeltans et al. (2010)
Origin: Native
Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.
Distribution: Indo-Pacific; Eastern Pacific, Northern California to Chile, including offshore islands and Ecuador in Galápagos Islands.
- Grove, J.S. Lavenberg, R.J. (1997) The Fishes of the Galapagos Islands. Stanford University Press, Stanford California. 862 pp.
- Humann, P. Deloach, N. (2003) Reef Fish Identification - Galapagos. New World Publication, Inc. Florida USA & Libri Mundi, Quito, Ecuador, 226 pp.
- Appeltans, W. Bouchet, P., Boxshall, G.A., Fauchald, K., Gordon, D.P., Hoeksema, B.W., Poore, G.C.B., van Soest, R.W.M., Stöhr, S., Walter, T.C., Costello, M.J. (eds.) (2010) World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Available online at http://www.marinespecies.org.
- IUCN (2010) IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 26 April 2010.
- McCosker, J.E. Rosenblatt, R.H. (2010) The fishes of the Galápagos Archipelago: an update. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sc., Ser. 4, vol. 61, Suppl. II, no. 11: 167-195.
- Edgar, G.J. Fariña, J.M., Calvopiña, M., Martínez, C. & Banks, S. (2002) Comunidades submareales rocosas II: Peces y macroinvertebrados móviles. In: Danulat, E. & Edgar, G.J. (eds.) (2002): Reserva Marina de Galápagos. Línea Base de la Biodiversidad. Fundación Charles Darwin/Servicio Parque Nacional Galápagos, Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Ecuador, p. 68-97.
- Banks, S. Vera, M. & Chiriboga, A. (2009) Establishing Reference Points to Assess Long-Term Change in Zooxanthellate Coral Communities of the Northern Galapagos Coral Reefs. J. Sci. Conserv. in the Galapagos Islands, p. 43-64.
- Constant, P. (2007) Marine Life of the Galapagos. The Diver's guide to Fishes, Whales, Dolphins and marine Invertebrates, 307 pp.
You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.
This page should be cited as follows:
"Galapagos Species Database, Balistes polylepis", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=7838. Accessed 1 May 2025.